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Review Date: 4/19/2012
There is a lot that could be said about yoga and religion. This book doesnt say much to me. It just doesnt speak my language. The approach is not at all scholarly or astute. I dont want to be unkind but frankly the book is just about a Christian phobia about other religions.
I understand how Hinduism must look to Christians. Images play an important part in Hindu worship and Im sure Christians are greatly discomforted by that. Hinduism seems to have many gods and you were taught that you shall have not other gods, right? St. Paul would have told you not to fear idols because you are saved and Christ is with you. Dont worry that if you still your soul in meditation that a spirit other than the holy sprit will enter you. What is faith for?
Hinduism will still look pagan to Christians who don't know that most Hindus believe in one lord. Jesus will know you if you know him. A Hindu who knows the lord is the same to him as a Christian who knows the lord.
Indian holy men long ago knew the truth of one God. They became enlightened and then worked for the enlightenment of others. They knew a sacred truth that they came to in the peace of meditation. They must have believed others would come to the truth the same way.
I was expecting a book like Meditation in the Bible by Aryeh Kaplan, a book that is by the way so much more worth reading. The Hebrew prophets did the same thing Indian holy men did. The sought solitude to meditate and they found God. Yoga is not primarily a physical fitness program. It is much more about mediation. The Yogis just have a more Oriental and formal system.
The prophets were closed mouthed about thier practices so we know more about yoga than we know about the spiritual path of the prophets. That is why so many of the Jewish faith and some of the Christian faith turn to Eastern practices like yoga.
The prophets only taught their spiritual path to their disciples. The spiritual path is safer under the guidance of a master. Some Christian followers of yoga have had a spiritual crisis of conscience or something like a mental collapse. They were following a path that was not right for them and the guidance of an eastern master was not right for them either.
I do understand western and Christian sensibilities and I can see how Hindu religion and philosophy will discomfort some. The idea of emptying the mind will not appeal to most westerners. We want to fill our minds not empty them. Empty the mind first then fill it with light. "Be still and know that I am God." Meditate that the spirit of Christ is within you. Meditate on Christ as the Mahaguru. Psalms is book of meditation.
The Yoga Sutra teaches a way to make the temple of the soul a fit place for the Holy Spirit live. The sutra even recommends devotion to the lord but if you feel you are wrong to practice yoga because it involves non-Christian religious ideas stick to the religion you feel at peace with.
Most authors deal with the problem by saying yoga is not a religion anyway and you could have any religion and practice yoga but that is western thinking. It is a good superficial answer. It removes the spiritual value of yoga. Yoga is a spiritual discipline. It opens the way to the spiritual world but it can open the doors of the spirit world and the subconscious mind as well. There might be a danger of falling prey to spirits or subconscious forces that are not spiritual at all. A guru or some guidance is needed. The guru guides you past these dangers and provides psychological guidance. With faith and Christ as your guru you might follow the path safely. The first thing your guru will say to you is fear not
The Yoga Sutra prescribes worship and devotion but does not demand a certain type of worship. Some are not comfortable with so much spritual freedom.
Yoga might not be the right thing for Christians. If a spiritual path affects you negatively it is not right for you. Be guided by your conscience and the lord, who is the inner guru.
I understand how Hinduism must look to Christians. Images play an important part in Hindu worship and Im sure Christians are greatly discomforted by that. Hinduism seems to have many gods and you were taught that you shall have not other gods, right? St. Paul would have told you not to fear idols because you are saved and Christ is with you. Dont worry that if you still your soul in meditation that a spirit other than the holy sprit will enter you. What is faith for?
Hinduism will still look pagan to Christians who don't know that most Hindus believe in one lord. Jesus will know you if you know him. A Hindu who knows the lord is the same to him as a Christian who knows the lord.
Indian holy men long ago knew the truth of one God. They became enlightened and then worked for the enlightenment of others. They knew a sacred truth that they came to in the peace of meditation. They must have believed others would come to the truth the same way.
I was expecting a book like Meditation in the Bible by Aryeh Kaplan, a book that is by the way so much more worth reading. The Hebrew prophets did the same thing Indian holy men did. The sought solitude to meditate and they found God. Yoga is not primarily a physical fitness program. It is much more about mediation. The Yogis just have a more Oriental and formal system.
The prophets were closed mouthed about thier practices so we know more about yoga than we know about the spiritual path of the prophets. That is why so many of the Jewish faith and some of the Christian faith turn to Eastern practices like yoga.
The prophets only taught their spiritual path to their disciples. The spiritual path is safer under the guidance of a master. Some Christian followers of yoga have had a spiritual crisis of conscience or something like a mental collapse. They were following a path that was not right for them and the guidance of an eastern master was not right for them either.
I do understand western and Christian sensibilities and I can see how Hindu religion and philosophy will discomfort some. The idea of emptying the mind will not appeal to most westerners. We want to fill our minds not empty them. Empty the mind first then fill it with light. "Be still and know that I am God." Meditate that the spirit of Christ is within you. Meditate on Christ as the Mahaguru. Psalms is book of meditation.
The Yoga Sutra teaches a way to make the temple of the soul a fit place for the Holy Spirit live. The sutra even recommends devotion to the lord but if you feel you are wrong to practice yoga because it involves non-Christian religious ideas stick to the religion you feel at peace with.
Most authors deal with the problem by saying yoga is not a religion anyway and you could have any religion and practice yoga but that is western thinking. It is a good superficial answer. It removes the spiritual value of yoga. Yoga is a spiritual discipline. It opens the way to the spiritual world but it can open the doors of the spirit world and the subconscious mind as well. There might be a danger of falling prey to spirits or subconscious forces that are not spiritual at all. A guru or some guidance is needed. The guru guides you past these dangers and provides psychological guidance. With faith and Christ as your guru you might follow the path safely. The first thing your guru will say to you is fear not
The Yoga Sutra prescribes worship and devotion but does not demand a certain type of worship. Some are not comfortable with so much spritual freedom.
Yoga might not be the right thing for Christians. If a spiritual path affects you negatively it is not right for you. Be guided by your conscience and the lord, who is the inner guru.
Review Date: 4/17/2014
It looks like the author just needed to publish something because he needed the money. It's a very poorly written book, about the same quality as a college paper prepared at the last minute, did the research and put it together in a hurry.
But there are still a few good insights and the book is still worth reading for anyone who is interested in the subject. The author might know more than he let on. Writers on the subject never seem to spell it all out exactly right. And I have to say that there isn't any book on this subject that is satisfactory. You have to read a lot and put it all together for your self.
But there are still a few good insights and the book is still worth reading for anyone who is interested in the subject. The author might know more than he let on. Writers on the subject never seem to spell it all out exactly right. And I have to say that there isn't any book on this subject that is satisfactory. You have to read a lot and put it all together for your self.
Review Date: 12/7/2013
The best I've read on this type of subject.
Review Date: 12/7/2013
Concise, no nonsense, good Hebrew primer. I have B.A. in Linguistics and this is the only book to get me comfortable with Hebrew and begin to understand it finally. The Teach Yourself language books are good generally.
Review Date: 4/19/2012
There are only a few books on Raga Yoga in English and this is one of the best. Some might not like it because of its many Christian references. I liked it because it does relate the the Yoga tradtion to a western tradition that is familiar. It is done in an enlightened way and is not preachy at all.
Raga Yoga makes much less use of asanas and is very different from Hatha Yoga, which is mostly about asanas. In Raga Yoga you only need to master one of the seated asanas for meditation. A combination of Raga and Hatha is effective and most yogis use both to some extent. This book address both.
It is a great book for anyone interested in yoga, meditation and spirituality. There are only a few realy good books on yoga. This is one of them.
Raga Yoga makes much less use of asanas and is very different from Hatha Yoga, which is mostly about asanas. In Raga Yoga you only need to master one of the seated asanas for meditation. A combination of Raga and Hatha is effective and most yogis use both to some extent. This book address both.
It is a great book for anyone interested in yoga, meditation and spirituality. There are only a few realy good books on yoga. This is one of them.
Review Date: 4/19/2012
Good introduction to Shivananda Yoga and Yoga generally. Shivananda Yoga is based on the teachings of Swami Sivananda, who was a medical doctor who was interested in preserving health and wellness. Sivananda Yoga is more accessible and approachable to modern students because Swami Sivananda brought a modern education and understanding to the subject. The book teaches the five points of yoga taught by Swami Sivananda:
Proper breathing: Pranayama
Proper Exercise: Asanas
Proper Relaxation: Savasana
Proper Diet based somewhat on Ayurvedic principles
Positive thinking and meditation
Nice illustrations and a nicely produced book in a nice large format. It teaches the twelve asanas used by the Shivananda school with variations. The instructions detail the faults to avoid and the points to observe in attaining the correct positions. A good book for students and teachers.
This is the book to have if you only want to have a few good books on yoga.
Proper breathing: Pranayama
Proper Exercise: Asanas
Proper Relaxation: Savasana
Proper Diet based somewhat on Ayurvedic principles
Positive thinking and meditation
Nice illustrations and a nicely produced book in a nice large format. It teaches the twelve asanas used by the Shivananda school with variations. The instructions detail the faults to avoid and the points to observe in attaining the correct positions. A good book for students and teachers.
This is the book to have if you only want to have a few good books on yoga.
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